Improvement in ditching and grading machines



UMTED STATES PATENT* Frron.

IMPROVEMENT IN DITCHING AND GRADING MACHINES.

Specification forming part ofLetters Patent No. 137,3 l dated Api il 1, 1873;

applitation tiled August 5, 1872.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVIN D. NOBLE, of Cerro Gordo, in the county of Piatt and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Ditching and Grading Machines, of which the following is a specification This invention consists" in certain novel peculiarities of construction and arrangement for purposes ot' facilitating the proper manipulation of the machine, which are fully explained in the ensuing description and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Figurerl is a perspective view of my improved ditching and grading machine. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the ditcher or excavator part ot' the machine seen from the land-side. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are detail views of `did'erent parts of the machine.

The same letters of vreference are employed in all the figures in the designation of identical parts.

The excavations are made by the share A,

which is fastened in any approved manner to A a standard of the beam B, said standard being also used for the support, in part, of the landside C. The beam is provided with the ordinary rotary. colter D and the swiveling-Wheel E, which may be raised or lowered through the medium of the lever F, which turns on a fulcrum on the standard j' carried on top of the beam. The slice of earth cutoff by the share is thrown upon the sid'e of the ditch by the long inclined mold-board G, which forms a continuation of the share, being suitably secured and braced to the standard and landside of the plow. The excavator is supported by an additional caster-wheel, H, which runs upon the bank furthest from the land-side, being attached flexibly to the beam by means of suitable links H', and controlled by a lever, I, which is pivoted to the vertical shank of the frame which supports the wheel, and, extending thence to the rear, is fulcrumed upon a standard, i', on the mold-board, as best seen in Fig. l. The special function of this additional wheel H is to hold the excavator in an upright position, it being successively elevated each time it becomes necessary to lower the plow for the purpose of deepening the ditch by means of the lever I. The earth thrown upon the bank by the mold-board is spread or carried away from the ditch bythe scraper K,

are illustrated in detail in Fig. 5, which give flexibility to the scraper also in the direction of its length, so that it may accommodate itself to inequalities of surface, besides permitting of adjustment of its pitch. Each such arm consists, essentially, of four bars, Z Z1Z2Z". The first one, Z, is at one end suitably' connected to the land-side by a joint, and pivoted by a horizontal pintle, l, to ears 2 2 of the second bar Z1, the other end of which laps in whole or in part the third bar, Z2, and is adjustably attached thereto, so that the arm may be shortened or lengthened in this part. The last bar Z3 is connected by a vertical hinge to the back of the scraper, and pivoted to the end ot' the bar Z2. It extends, however, beyond this pivotal point., and terminates in a cross-head, 3, having a curved slot in it, through which a clamping-screw passes into the bar Z2 for clamping the bars Z2 and Z3 iirml y together when the scraper has been set at the desired pitch.

The draft is transmitted to the scraper K bya chain, K', connecting the forward end ot the scraper to the back` of the mold-board. To guide the excavator in widening the ditch, two guide-wheels, M and M', are employed, which are suitably secured to the standard and braces ot the plow, and project beyond the land-side so as to run along the vertical side of the ditch. These guide-wheels are adjustably connected to the standard and braces, so that the distance whichthey shall project from the land-side O may readily be regulated, and each is provided with a sharp iange, m, to cut into the earth, enabling the guide-wheels to support the plow above the bottom of the ditch. A second scraper, N, may be employed to carry the excavated earth stili further away from the ditch. Then used itis hitched by chains to the excavator and tirst scraper Kin thema-nner clearlyillustratedinFig. 1. Its arms L are connected by a bar, L1, and a diagonal 2 usuels bar, L2, and each carries at its outer end a guide-wheel constructed in every respect like the guide-wheels M and M', running against the opposite side of the ditch, as shown in Fig. 5, to hold the scraper in proper position in relation to the scraper K. This second scraper is provided with a caster-wheel, O, fastened to a lever, P, and it may be used separately.

WV hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In combination with the excavator, the supplemental adjustable caster-Wheel H arranged to run upon the bank, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In combination with the excavator, the

guidewheels IWI M', substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The guide -Wheels M M having sharp anges m, in combination with the excavator, substantially as and for the purpose specied.

4. rIhe combination ofthe scraper and jointed extensible arms L, which are composed of the parts Z1, P2, 2, Z2, and 133, substantially asand for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

Witnesses:

GEORGE PERRY. CHAs. J. DEVLIN.

L. n. NOBLE. 

